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by Sandy Shaw
In Galatians Chapter 2, Paul has been pleading with Peter - and more than that - confronting Peter - "Peter, don't slip back into legalism".
Think of what is at stake - the Gospel of Jesus Christ - our freedom in Christ. We are saved - rescued - forgiven - shown mercy and love - we receive peace from God - and we do not have to do anything to merit all that. It is a GIFT from GOD - yes, a very costly gift.
Let me define Legalism - "Legalism is an attempt to achieve righteousness with God by keeping a set of rules. Legalism is adding requirement for righteousness to what God has already declared in His Word."
Paul says - "I have died to all that, and if anyone was immersed in legalism - if anyone tried to keep the law - it was I - it was me. I tried to keep the law harder than anyone else - and discovered I couldn't. But I also discovered that what I could not do Jesus Christ – our Passover Lamb - our Saviour - has done it all for us - and He says - Come unto ME and I will give you rest - mercy - salvation - freedom - and it will be ‘just if I'd’ never sinned.
That is what is at stake here. And this is what is at stake in many places today that bear the Name of Jesus Christ.
Verse 19. Paul is saying, I have died to the law with all its rules and rituals and regulations. I tried to keep them all - and failed. It was when I really tried to be good that I discovered how bad I really was!
What Paul is saying to us is really this - "You don't know how bad you are until you try to be good!"
And when I went into the water - having met Jesus Christ – and was baptised – all that was buried. I was buried and rose again - a new creation. All that died. And it has to die.
Verse 20. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith - by obedience to the Son of God - which is perfect freedom!
Paul was delivered from the LAW - and he was delivered from SELF!
The law is a hard harsh taskmaster. Do this. Do that. Sacrifice these. Keep it all.
What a ‘taskmaster’ we have now - One who loves us - who gave His Life for us - Who shed His blood to wash us - One who heals - protects - preserves - guards - guides - forgives. Which ‘taskmaster’ do we wish to have? We will have one or the other!
Paul is stressing - I have died to the law and its demands, and you cannot try a dead man by the law. The law cannot bring a dead man into court.
Paul is saying - "Peter - Galatians - we are free - we have been set free - let us not go back into all that law. I am not going back to sitting at separate tables - sitting in certain seats - eating particular food - dressing in a special way.
Paul knew that legalism makes you miserable - unloving - fearful – and keeps you in bondage, as you wonder, did I do enough, and did I do well enough?
And, if I do not keep the rules, there is always someone there to criticise me!
Jesus Christ sets us free - the law does not. Jesus releases us from having to sit with one type or group of people, to sit alongside anyone we wish, and Jesus opens the door to all kinds of needy people.
There is a significant verse in Romans Chapter 14 v.17 - "The kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit".
Romans 4 verses 24,25 - we must NOT add to that.
Is it not true to say that Legalism is much more serious than immorality?
There was immorality in Corinth and Paul was able to deal with that comparatively easily - but legalism is different. Legalism appeals to our sinful pride. Paul could give thanks for the disciples at Corinth but he reveals a deep concern regarding what was happening in the Galatian Church.
Galatians 2 verse 20 is a dangerous verse, because it speaks about the deliverance from self-centeredness! The EGO had gone - and Paul had some EGO. He tells us about that elsewhere. This verse can cause a spiritual explosion within you, and it can cause an explosion within the Church.
Paul had fought for his ministry - the ministry he had as a legalistic Jew prior to meeting Jesus. It is like Abraham and Isaac - God gives Isaac - and then asks for him back - and that is a critical point in any man's ministry. When you are putting it all back on the altar - and you hear God saying - I AM the ONE who determines what happens to your ministry.
This is my future - this is my dream - this is my pension - this is what makes me what I am - this is the most precious thing to me! And then God knocks you off your horse!
We have to learn not to fight for our ministry - our ministries. When we give it to God, HE knows how to multiply it.
Paul writes this letter out of a burning heart, and deep concern! He has no nice desk and no computer. He is under pressure - we would call it stress - but that in his case is really persecution. His ministry is being persecuted, and he does what he has to do and say what he is compelled to say – and then leaves it all in the capable hands of Almighty God.
Alexander 'Sandy' Shaw is pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship in Nairn, Scotland. Nairn is 17 miles east of Inverness - on the Moray Firth Coast - not far from the Loch Ness Monster!
Gifted as a Biblical teacher, Sandy is firmly committed to making sure that his teachings are firmly grounded in the Word.
Sandy has a weekly radio talk which can be heard via the Internet on Saturday at 11:40am, New Orleans time, at wsho.com.
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